Syria /
Geography
Water surface: 1,130 km².Population density: 102 inhabitants per kmē.Border: 2,253 km. To Lebanon 375 km; Israel 76 km; Jordan 375 km; Iraq 605 km; and Turkey 822 km.Coastline: 193 km.Highest point:Mount Hermon 2,814 mLowest point:Sea of Galilee -200 m (under Israeli control).Arable land: 26%
Syria is arid, relying very much upon water coming down from the mountains in Turkey. Most of the country is flat, but has mountains towards the border of Lebanon. The east is desert, the western coast has a mediterranean climate.Syria can get very cold in the winter, and snow in the mountains is normal. Summer can get very hot.Syrian economy is relatively weak, but there has recently been many initiatives to open it up.Syria has during the recent years become more open towards Western powers, and there has been ease on internal opposition. Still, Syria is a country with heavy state control on all sectors of life.Parts of Syria remains under Israeli occupation: Golan Heights. Syria has also got a claim on parts of Turkey: the region of Antakya. Syrian foreign politics involve initiatives to get the Golan Heights back. Antakya region is not subject for any active politics.